Abdominal supporter.



M. E. BYRD.

ABDOMINAL SUPPORTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11.1915.

mwmw. Patented Oct. 24,1916.

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i ABDOMINAL SUPPOBTEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

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Application filed February 11, 1915.

To all whom; it may concern Be it known that I, MARY E. Brno, a citizenof the United States, residing at Mount Winans, in the county ofBaltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Abdominal Supporters, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in supports orbandages and more particularly to abdominal supporters, the main objectof the present invention being the provision of a supporter of the abovecharacter to be used for supporting the abdomen and is especially usedby women during the last period of pregnancy and also for fleshy womenand women who have to do manual labor.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an abdominalsupporter which can be quickly and easily applied to the body or removedand at the same time consists of comparatively few parts and eliminatesall unnecessary fastening straps which are generally used on supportersof this character so as to prevent chafing of the lower parts of thebody and the upper parts of the limbs;

A further object of the present invention is the production of a bodybelt or bandage designed and adapted to surround the body of a wearer inthe region of the waist line, for the purpose of compressing, sustainingor preserving the natural shape of the figure.

A further object is the production of a belt or bandage havingstructural characteristics which especially adapt it for use as asupport for enlarged and prolapsed abdomens, weakened or strainedabdominal walls and muscles, as a support for certain mis placed organs,for use in cases of hernia, as also in other conditions and ailments inthe treatment of which abdominal or body belts and bandages areemployed.

A further object is the production of belts having novel characteristicswhich admirably adapt them for occasional use of women during pregnancy,and for use after childbirth while the form is resuming its natural andnormal proportions.

A further object of the invention is that of providing close-fittingbody belts or bandages of the character above indicated, which arepeculiarly suited and adapted to meet requirements of the prevailingfashions in womens wearing apparel, wherein Patented Uct. 24L, 19th.

Serial No. 7,615.

it is sought to retain a waist line of normal size, but to round out thefigure above and below to produce the effect of an uncorseted naturalfigure.

A further object is the production of means in connection with theimproved close-fitting body belt or bandage whereby the latter may beeffectually retained in proper applied position, without the employmentof crotch straps.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in thenovel features of construction, the combination and arrangement of partshereinafter referred to, pointed out in the claims and shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an abdominal supporter constructed inaccordance with my invention, illustrating the application of the same.Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective viewillustrating the manner of connecting the lower fastening straps, andFig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional-view illustrating the manner ofdetachably connecting the free ends of the body section at the back ofthe wearer.

In carrying out my invention I provide a body member generally indicatedin the accompanying drawings by the numeral 1.

The body 1 as shown is reduced in width at its ends and. each end isprovided with spaced rows of fastenings as shown at 2 whereby the endsmay be overlapped when securing the device to the body of the wearer. Itwill be noted that by overlapping the ends of the body it will not onlyprovide a strong fastening means, but will reinforce the supporter atthe back of the wearer and provide additional support at this point. I

The front part of the body is cut away as shown at 3 so that only theupper and lower edges, and an intermediate horizontal strip, extendentirely around the person of a wearer in the region of the waist. Thespaces formed by cutting away the front of the body portion asaforesaid, are filled by elastic strips or front panels 4 and 5 whichconstitute a somewhat expansible or yielding support for the upper andlower portions of the abdomen of awearer. The said upper and lowersupporting panels 4 and 5 are connected by means of a transverse orhorizontal non-elastic strip 6, the meeting edges of said body member,panels and strip being provided with reinforcing members 7 to preventunraveling and securely connect said parts together, and it is apparentthat by this relative arrangement of elasticpanels 4, 5, and interposednon-elastic strip 6, the said yielding or elastic portions of thepresent supporter cannot be unduly stretched, but will always return tonormal shape when removed from the person of a wearer. Thus it will beobserved that panels or inserts 4 and 5, in conjunction with thenon-stretchable strip 6, perform the functions of moderately pliable oryielding compressors under conditions where compression is required; orassist materially in producing .a shapely figure above and below theWaist line, even in cases of enlarged and prolapsed abdomens. In otherwords there may be protuberances above and below'the restraining strip6, which would not be apparent even with modern close and tight-fittinggarments; but on the other hand, the same abdomen, supported merely by asingle center panel of elastic material, unrestrained by strip 6 andprotruding from the upper to the lower edges of the supporter, wouldnecessarily be conspicuous and unsightly.

' The lower edge of the body is provided, at a point between the centralportion of the body and the ends thereof with downwardly projecting tabs8 and is further provided I adjacent each end of the body with elastictension straps 9 which are to fit over the hips of the wearer to causethe lower edge of the body to fit snugly over the hips as shown in Fig.2. Permanently attached at one end of the edges of the tabs 8 are thestraps 10 which are adapted to encircle the upper portion of the leg ofthe wearer and the free ends thereof are detachably connected to theopposite edges of the tabs by means of the hooks and eyes 11.

It will teamed that by havin the straps 10 secured to the tabs 8 andencircling the thigh or, the wearer, it will eliminate the use of thestraps which generally pass through the crotch thus preventing anychafing or unpleasantness at this point to the wearer.

Furthermore, by extending the tabs down onto the leg it will prevent thecorset from, contacting with the leg and provide means whereby gartersand other supporting elements may be attached to the same. It will beapparent that in applying the device to the body the ends are passedaround the body and secured across the back by the fastening means 2, itbeing understood that the supporting. strips 4: and 5 are arranged inposition over the abdomen before the ends are secured together. Thestraps 10 are then passed around the upper portion of the legs andsecured by the hooks and eyes 11.

It will be understood that the strips t and 5 and the straps 9 and 10may be formed of any suitable elastic material and the body 1 may beformed of any material suitable for the purpose. It will be noted fromthe above that the device is extremely simple in construction and can bequickly and easily applied or removed and at the same time can bemanufactured and placed upon thein'arket at a comparatively low cost.

While I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention itwill be obvious that various changes in the details of construction andin the proportions may be resorted to for carrying out my invention,without sacrificing any of the novel features or departing from thescope of the appended claims.

Having thus described this invention, what I desire to claim as new andsecure by Letters Patent", is

1. A bandage of the character described comprising a non-elastic bodyportion adapted and arranged to surround the person of a wearer, incombination with vertically spaced elastic front panels, and anintermediate non-elastic band connecting the said panels.

2. A bandage of the character described comprising a non-elastic bodyportion adapted and arranged to surround the person of a wearer andhaving detachably connected overlapping ends, in combination withvertically spaced elastic front panels, and an intermediate non-elasticband connecting the said panels.

3; An abdominal supporter comprising a non-elastic body portion adaptedand arranged to surround the person of a wearer above and below thewaist line. in combination with an elastic front panel, elastic hipstraps under tension each secured at both ends to the non-elastic bodymaterial across the hip portion thereof, oppositely disposed tabsdepending from said supporter, and elastic tension straps secured totheir respective tabs adapted to surround the legs of a wearer.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MARY E. BYRD.

lVitnesses l'VILLrAir HISSEY, Jr., ALBERT W. HISSEY.

ot er 62 this patent may be obtained for five cents each, 8? addressingthe Commissioner of Patents;

7 Washington; D. 0;

